''Blam!'' is the third album by the

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

-based duo

the Brothers Johnson The Brothers Johnson was an American funk and R&B band consisting of the American brothers George ("Lightnin' Licks") and Louis E. Johnson ("Thunder Thumbs"). They achieved their greatest success from the mid-1970s to early 1980s, with three ...

. Released in 1978, the album topped the ''Billboard'' R&B albums chart and reached number seven on the pop albums chart. It was certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

Critical reception

Alex Henderson of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

wrote that the album "demonstrates that funk can be sleek and gritty at the same time... ''Blam!'' is excellent from start to finish."

Track listing

#"Ain't We Funkin' Now" - ( Alex Weir, Louis Johnson,

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

, Tom Bahler, Valerie Johnson) 5:36 #"So Won't You Stay" - (

David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...

Harvey Mason Harvey William Mason (born February 22, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, record producer, and member of the band Fourplay. He was the original drummer for Herbie Hancock's band The Headhunters. Life and career Mason was born and grew ...

) 3:20 #"Blam!" - (Weir, Foster, George Johnson, L. Johnson, Jones, Bahler) 4:55 #"Rocket Countdown / Blastoff" - ( William Reichenbach,

Jerry Hey Jerry Hey (born 1950) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Michael Jackson's '' Thriller'', '' Rock with Y ...

) 0:51 #"Ride-O-Rocket" - (

Nickolas Ashford Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting, production and recording duo composed of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946). Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carol ...

Valerie Simpson Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting, production and recording duo composed of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946). Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carol ...

) 4:43 #"Mista' Cool" - (Ed Eckstine,

Larry Williams Lawrence Eugene Williams (May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, and pianist from New Orleans. He is best known for writing and recording some rock and roll classics from 1957 to ...

, L. Johnson) 3:27 #"It's You Girl" - (G. Johnson, L. Johnson, Jones) 3:32 #"Streetwave" - (Weir, Jerry Hey, L. Johnson, Wayne Vaughn) 5:05

Personnel

* George Johnson – lead guitar, lead and backing vocals * Louis Johnson – bass, guitar, piano, synthesizer, lead and backing vocals * Alex Weir – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "It's You Girl" *

– synthesizer, electric piano *

Larry Carlton Larry Eugene Carlton (born March 2, 1948) is an American guitarist who built his career as a studio musician in the 1970s and 1980s for acts including Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. One of the most sought after guitarists of his era, Carlton has ...

– guitar *

Steve Khan Steve Khan (born Steven Harris Cahn; April 28, 1947) is an American jazz guitarist. Career Steven Harris Cahn was born in Los Angeles. His father, lyricist Sammy Cahn, "loved to hear any and all versions of his songs". He took piano lessons as a ...

– guitar *

– drums * Steve Schaeffer – drums * Wayne Vaughn – electric piano, backing vocals *

Richard Tee Richard Edward Tee (born Richard Edward Ten Ryk; November 24, 1943 – July 21, 1993) was an American jazz fusion pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger, who had several hundred studio credits and played on such notable hits as " I'll B ...

– electric piano, acoustic piano *

Eddie "Bongo" Brown Edward James "Bongo" Brown (September 13, 1932 – December 28, 1984) was an American percussionist known for his work with The Funk Brothers, Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 to 1972. ...

– percussion *

Steve Porcaro Steven Maxwell Porcaro (born September 2, 1957) is an American keyboardist, songwriter, singer, and film music composer, known as one of the founding members of the rock band Toto and the last surviving Porcaro brother (after the deaths of Jeff ...

– synthesizer *

Lawrence Williams Lawrence Williams or Laurence Williams may refer to: * Lawrence G. Williams (1913–1975), American politician * Lawrence P. Williams (1905–1996), British motion picture art director * Lawrence Williams (American football), American football play ...

– synthesizer, saxophone, flute, alto flute, clarinet * Kim Hutchcroft – alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, alto flute *

– trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet, French horn * Gary Grant – trumpet, flugelhorn, slide trumpet, piccolo trumpet * William Reichenbach – bass alto trombone *

Michael Brecker Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as a performer and composer, received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in ...

– tenor saxophone * Steve Foreman – timpani * Babi Floyd – backing vocals * Bobby Rodriquez – backing vocals * Frank Floyd – backing vocals *

Gwen Guthrie Gwendolyn Guthrie (July 9, 1950 – February 3, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter and pianist who also sang backing vocals for Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Peter Tosh, The Limit and Madonna, among others, and who wrote son ...

– backing vocals * Kenny Pickens – backing vocals *

Patti Austin Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American Grammy Award-winning R&B, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter best known for " Baby, Come to Me", her 1982 duet with James Ingram, which topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 after its re-release ...

– backing vocals * Raymond Simpson – backing vocals * Richard Heath – backing vocals * Tom Bahler – backing vocals * Yollanda McCullough – backing vocals * Vivian Cherry – backing vocals * William Eaton – backing vocals * Zachary Sanders – backing vocals

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Singles

Certifications

References

External links

Brothers Johnson-Blam! at Discogs
{{Authority control 1978 albums The Brothers Johnson albums A&M Records albums Albums produced by Quincy Jones Albums with cover art by Drew Struzan